I Am a Woman Finding My Voice: Celebrating The Extraordinary Blessings Of Being A Woman

153 Pages·1999·0.53 MB·English

by  Janet F

I AM A
W
OMAN
FINDING
V
MY OICE
Celebrating
the Extraordinary Blessings
of Being a Woman
JANET F. QUINN, PH.D., R.N.
FOR ALL WOMEN, EVERY WOMAN,
may you know your awesome goodness and
celebrate the abundant gifts that your life bestows on a needy world.
IN MEMORY OF MY MOTHER, GEORGIANNA SWEET QUINN,
in whose arms I first knew unconditional love
and whose touch I miss still.
FOR MY SISTER, DIANE QUINN COLEMAN,
with my deepest wishes for your healing,
wholeness, and peace.
FOR TARA MICHELLE AND FAITH MARIE,
with all my love and prayers that your lives as women
are radiant with boundless love, joy, and beauty.
FOR THE EAGLE,
in all its manifestations in my life.
Here, I can only fall silent.
Contents
Foreword by Dr. Joan Borysenko ix
Preface xiii
Acknowledgments xv
Introduction xix
I Am a Woman 1
I Am a Woman Finding My Voice 2
I Am a Woman Healing Myself 3
I Am a Woman Saying YES 4
I Am a Woman Saying NO 5
I Am a Woman Re-claiming My Body 6
A Reflection: On Learning to Love My Body 7
I Am a Woman Telling Myself the Truth 9
I Am a Woman Claiming My Wisdom 10
I Am a Woman Believing in Myself 11
I Am a Woman Loving Myself 12
A Reflection: On Remembering Why I Am Here 13
I Am a Woman Nurturing Myself 16
I Am a Woman Caring for My Friend 17
I Am a Woman Following My Heart 18
I Am a Woman Allowing Others to Be Right 19
A Reflection: On Woman and Waiting 21
I Am a Woman Bathing in the Bliss of the Company of
Other Women 23
I Am a Woman Trusting Myself 24
I Am a Woman Childless by Choice 25
I Am a Woman Forgiving Men 26
A Reflection: On Being A Godmother 27
I Am a Woman Doing Exactly What I Want to Do 29
I Am a Woman Celebrating Motherhood 30
I Am a Woman Saying Yes to God as Mother 31
I Am a Woman Becoming Just 32
A Reflection: On the Gift of a Friend Who Listens 33
I Am a Woman Making Myself Safe 34
I Am a Woman Loving My Friends 35
I Am a Woman Doing What I Know 36
I Am a Woman Forgiving Myself 37
A Reflection: On Being an Aunt 38
I Am a Woman Accepting Change in the People I Love 41
I Am a Woman Doing Whatever It Takes to Raise My
Children 43
I Am a Woman Finding Courage with Other Women 44
I Am a Woman Who Sleeps Alone 45
A Reflection: On the Other Side of Being a Woman Who Sleeps
Alone 46
I Am a Woman Accepting Help 47
I Am a Woman Enjoying My Sensuality 49
I Am a Woman Seeking a Third Way 50
I Am a Woman Celebrating the Choices of All Women 52
A Reflection: On Living From the Inside Out 53
I Am a Woman Sharing Stories 55
I Am a Woman Longing for Her 56
I Am a Woman Taking Time for Myself 57
I Am a Woman Surrendering to the Unfolding Mystery of
My Life 58
A Reflection: On Becoming a Champion of Touch 59
I Am a Woman Trusting My Intuition 61
I Am a Woman Becoming Fearless 62
I Am a Woman Being Patient with Myself 64
I Am a Woman Discovering My Hidden Strength 65
A Reflection: On Learning about Grief 66
I Am a Woman Nurturing the Man I Love 70
I Am a Woman Being Gentle with Myself 71
I Am a Woman Opening to Guidance 72
I Am a Woman Choosing to Care 73
A Reflection: On Her Daughter, the Nurse 75
I Am a Woman Owning My Fears 77
I Am a Woman Becoming More Self-aware 78
I Am a Woman Listening for My Own Voice 79
I Am a Woman Noticing the Abundance of Life 80
A Reflection: On Claiming My Motherhood 81
I Am a Woman Imagining a New Self 83
I Am a Woman Full of Contradictions 85
I Am a Woman Choosing to See Things Differently 86
I Am a Woman Praying the Prayer of Parenting 87
A Reflection: On Some Hidden Gifts of Caring 88
I Am a Woman Achieving My Goals 91
I Am a Woman Standing with All My Sisters 92
I Am a Woman Getting Out of My Own Way 93
I Am a Woman Fighting for What I Believe In 94
A Reflection: On Reclaiming My Spiritual Home 95
I Am a Woman Having a Daring Adventure 98
I Am a Woman Working Without Hurry 100
A Reflection: On the Conscious Choice to Care 102
I Am a Woman Choosing Bliss 104
I Am a Woman Giving Myself a Break 105
I Am a Woman Who Has Proved I Can Do It 106
I Am a Woman Centered in the Present Moment 107
A Reflection: On Honoring Returning Mothers 108
I Am a Woman Becoming My Best Self 109
I Am a Woman Freeing Others from My Resentment 110
I Am a Woman Owning My Power 112
I Am a Woman Using My Voice to Create Change 113
A Reflection: On Allowing Ourselves to be Loved 114
I Am a Woman Letting Go and Moving On 116
I Am a Woman Dreaming a New Dream 118
I Am a Woman Rejoicing in Sisterhood 119
I Am a Woman Respecting Myself 120
Epilogue: On Women’s Business 121
Dear Reader 124
About the Author
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